Your Kids and Food: The Secret Life of Snacking

Mark and Christie Tully have three children: 6-year-old Andrew, 3-year-old Liam and baby Caroline. They also have a kitchen full of healthy snacks, along with some not-so-healthy ones. And sometimes it seems as if mealtime in the Tully household is … all the time.

Daily children consume more unhealthy snacks than ever before, and snacking now accounts for more than 27 percent of their daily calories, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs. The study, conducted at the University of North Carolina, surveyed more than 30,000 children and found that on average they snacked at least three times a day on candy, salty chips and other junk food. Unhealthy snacking added almost 600 calories a day to kids' diets -- up by 168 calories from the late 1970s.

Family Battles Extreme Snacking

The Tully family bravely agreed to let "Good Morning America" wire their "snack central" with cameras for one weekend, to see just how much Andrew and Liam are really eating between meals.

Andrew kicked off the snacking on Friday night with a buttered bagel before bed -- 439 calories.

On Saturday, before swim practice, he asked if he could have chocolate pudding. Christie Tully said sure, and younger brother Liam grabbed a pudding package as well.

"Is that what they're going for, pudding?" asked Mark Tully. "Guys, there are apples. How about a yogurt, instead? A yogurt would be a better snack."

And so began the pudding versus yogurt meltdown.

"You said I could have one," Andrew complained.

Dad's response? "Yeah, mommy wasn't paying attention to what you said exactly. How about for lunch you have the pudding, but yogurt you have for right now."

Both boys began whining and crying. The parents put up a good fight, but in a rush to get to swim practice, they gave in and let the boys have pudding.

Later that day, Christie Tully prepared a plate of low-fat string cheese, graham crackers and apples to eat between lunch and dinner.

"I have a bunch of stuff for you to share," she told her boys.

But, in addition to that, Andrew helped himself to some Goldfish Crackers.

Researchers found that many children snacked continuously throughout the day and that kids are less likely to pick up a fresh apple or vegetable than in past decades. And the largest increase in caloric intake from snacks, according to the study, was found in children ages 2 to 6, just like Andrew and Liam.

'You Need to Eat Something Other Than Bagels and Chicken Fingers'

In the Tully household, Saturday ended with a bedtime snack of ice cream with chocolate syrup for Andrew, and cookies for Liam.